


(so easy it's) Child's Play

by silverlined



Category: Sengoku Basara
Genre: Childhood, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-13
Updated: 2011-01-13
Packaged: 2017-10-14 17:40:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/151786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silverlined/pseuds/silverlined
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even in war, they were still children first and foremost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	(so easy it's) Child's Play

**Author's Note:**

> PREPUBESCENT POINTY MITSUNARI AND WEE [SQUIDEYASU](http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-09/sb-tokugawa-ieyasu-cg.html).
> 
> There is a throwaway line in the game bios that Ieyasu grew up while apprenticed under Hideyoshi so um, he was totally with the Toyotomi clan at some point. ~~Yeah, this didn't happen at all.~~ With the utmost thanks to [bucket_shot](http://bucket_shot.livejournal.com) for being my long suffering beta and [yobanashi](http://yobanashi.livejournal.com) for letting me write this at her.

"I'm a General!" Ieyasu protested; then had to stop, horrified, when his voice squeaked up two octaves on the last syllable, a high pitched tribute to the terrors of puberty.

 _Oh really?_ Hanbei's eyes seemed to say, twinkling with the light of gentle laughter that was entirely sadistic and really not gentle at all. _Because you seem rather childish to me._

Ieyasu glared and went to tug at his helmet before remembering he'd discarded it along with his spear, a show of good faith (or rather, a necessity) while at the Toyotomi residences. "This errand is-"

"Your mission, General," Hanbei interrupted, not quite hiding an arch smile behind his hand, "is to deliver this onigiri to Mitsunari and make sure he eats it. Surely, it would not be too much for a man of Mikawa."

"We shirk no duty," Ieyasu almost shouted and straightened his shoulders because as long as he marched like a man, no one had to pay attention to how he sounded. "Where is he?"

"Ah," Hanbei said, and finally laughed, a sound a little like tinkling bells and a lot like the tormented screams of the damned. "Finding that out is part of your mission."

Ieyasu was starting to hate life.

 

 

The thing was, Ieyasu could almost understand the necessity of his stupid mission from his stupid new commander on behalf of his stupid new comrade in arms, who was small and skinny and moved like a streak of silver lightning. Mitsunari Ishida had been there when Ieyasu had arrived at the castle, an almost non-presence hiding behind Hanbei's shoulder.

Hanbei had pushed Mitsunari forward with a chuckle, incongruously gentle for someone that Ieyasu had identified with monsters and marauders, and said, "The two of you are almost the same age," which had made Mitsunari glare and Ieyasu squeak with indignation.

He clearly had _years_ (At least one! Maybe even _two_!) on that skinny little shrimp, who looked pale and anemic with that bright silver-white hair.

"Is he your son?" Ieyasu had said, horrified.

Mitsunari's pointy face had gotten a whole lot friendlier but Hanbei had only smiled, touching Mitsunari's hair with a soft hand. "Something like that. I thought the two of you could play."

" _Train_ together," Mitsunari had insisted with another scowl on his pointy face.

"I'm not a _child_ ," Ieyasu had said because he was grown and mature and not going to throw a fit about the horrors of Takenaka actually spawning _more of himself_ upon the world.

"You have time to grow strong," Hanbei had said, ruffling Mitsunari's hair with another indulgent smile. "You'll take your meals with us. Mitsunari, show him around."

Mitsunari had looked at Ieyasu with entirely unwarranted suspicion as Hanbei had left the two of them alone, Ieyasu deeply surprised and Mitsunari altogether displeased.

"So," Ieyasu had said awkwardly. "... Want a ride on Tadakatsu?"

Unfortunately, Mitsunari was not so easily charmed and had instead taken him on a brief tour of the castle, culminating with a practical demonstration of the training grounds. Over the days and weeks, Ieyasu had had plenty of time to observe his new comrade, from the skinny wrists and neatly combed hair (Hanbei’s work, a morning ritual before breakfast in one of the East facing rooms with the paper screens thrown wide open so sunlight flooded in and even Hideyoshi sat by the wall, watching them with an expression Ieyasu would have sworn was not possible. After the first morning, Ieyasu had taken to coming to breakfast only narrowly not late.) and the worrying tendency to ignore vital things like food and weather and common sense.

Ieyasu liked food. Mitsunari’s habit of leaving meals unfinished or entirely ignored, preoccupied with chattering at an indulgently appreciative Hanbei and stoic Hideyoshi, was deeply distressing.

Thankfully, luck (and neatly packaged onigiri) were with Ieyasu today and Mitsunari had not been too difficult to track down.

Yoshitsugu Otani, in keeping with the theme of Osaka Castle, was also all sorts of creepy - if only because he was so disconcertingly attractive with his dark hair and eyes - and despite being a handful of years older, happy to spend time with Mitsunari when his duties allowed it.

"Hello," Ieyasu said gracelessly, stomping into the room. He came to a stop directly in front of Mitsunari, who was sitting quietly by Yoshitsugu's side. "Here."

Mitsunari looked at Ieyasu for one brief, exceptionally grumpy moment. "What?"

"It's not from _me_. Takenaka sent them. Onigiri."

"Whatever," Mitsunari said with a lot of disdain for someone whose mushroom haircut was getting so long that he had to shape the front into a point down his noise in order to see.

With great personal control, Ieyasu let the package of onigiri fall from his hand onto the table instead of commenting. He hoped, just a little, that they would get all squashed and deformed and Mitsunari would be stuck with them _anyway_. "Takenaka wants you to eat them."

"I don't need it."

Yoshitsugu laughed almost as creepily as Hanbei. "You should eat. It's written in the stars."

"I hate you," Mitsunari told Yoshitsugu companionably while Ieyasu stared in puzzlement. "And I will never forgive you."

"Your suffering moves me," Yoshitsugu said cheerfully.

"You're both very strange," Ieyasu informed them and backed slowly out of the room.

 

 

Hanbei stopped Ieyasu in the hall a little later, with that gentle smile and ineffable aura that meant that their meeting was less coincidence than his knowing exactly where everyone was at any moment. Ieyasu was only a little terrified.

"Mission accomplished, General?"

"I gave him the onigiri," Ieyasu muttered, trying to keep his gaze firm and strong and his voice un-squeaky.

"Oh my," Hanbei said, blandly. "You didn't check whether or not he actually ate it?"

"Of course he-" There was a long pause as Ieyasu's brain caught up with his mouth and communicated vital facts such as 'Mitsunari does not like to eat' and 'sense is sorely lacking in this household' and 'you failed your mission' and how habitually, Mitsunari would take whatever handed to him with a grunt that was perhaps thanks in an alternate language where people didn't have manners, then put it down absently and walk away.

There was nothing malicious about how Mitsunari didn't eat, even though his malnutritioned, pointy elbows could and did serve as handy weapons. Probably.

"Oh," Ieyasu said weakly. "But Otani was there?"

"Perhaps," Hanbei suggested mildly, with a glint in his eye, "you should try again."

 

 

In the afternoon, when the shadows began to stretch long and thin, Ieyasu gave up on trying to find Mitsunari in his favourite haunts (mainly isolated, lofty places because bar a few very select people, Mitsunari kind of hated the world) and returned to the castle on Tadakatsu's shoulder.

"I delivered the onigiri at least," Ieyasu told Tadakatsu's left antler and kicked his feet out petulantly. "That's at least half of the mission brief."

Tadakatsu had a very understanding sort of silence, Ieyasu felt.

"I suppose I should go tell Takenaka," Ieyasu said glumly and slouched towards Hanbei's rooms. Once outside, he paused a moment at the sound of Hanbei's measured tones and a higher voice, sweet if you weren't actually paying attention to what was being said.

"Did you eat today besides breakfast?" Hanbei definitely never sounded so nice talking to him.

"I'm not hungry," Mitsunari replied very brightly.

"Mmm," Hanbei murmured like he was laughing on the inside and too polite to show it. "But I think I am. You'll join me for a snack, won't you?"

"Oh," Mitsunari said, a little dismayed, but there was the sound of scrambling as he seated himself, most likely with the look of long-suffering forbearance he wore at most mealtimes - especially when Hanbei piled his bowl high.

"And perhaps," Hanbei said, raising his voice a little. "You would like to join us too, Ieyasu."

Ieyasu froze.

 

 

"He's terrifying," Ieyasu said bluntly and possibly a shade too loud considering how close they still were to Hanbei's rooms, when they had been shooed out and told to go play.

Play! Like they weren't practically adults (in a few years and many inches' growth time).

Tea with Hanbei had been both educational and an exceptional experience that Ieyasu was in no hurry to repeat, from the carefully polite questions he'd tried to dodge like bullets to the surprisingly graceful arc of Mitsunari's wrist and the careful, proper way he'd served tea.

"Show Hanbei-sama proper respect," Mitsunari hissed at him, glaring daggers around the pointed spike of his hair. In a few years, when it grew long enough, it could probably be used as a weapon too.

"Sure," Ieyasu said agreeably enough. "Takenaka-san is terrifying."

The noise Mitsunari made was a little like an indignant kitten. Or boiling water.

"You really like him," Ieyasu said because he was as smooth as fine wine.

"OF COURSE I-"

"I mean," Ieyasu said hastily, stepping back in case Mitsunari tried to gnaw through his jugular, "that, you know. He likes you too."

Magically, that seemed to soothe Mitsunari's ruffled feathers, until his glare went from actively murderous to merely full of hate. "Hanbei-sama is kind."

Ieyasu put on a look that he hoped was more 'politely doubtful' than 'outright disbelief'. Mitsunari bristled.

"Hanbei-sama has always been kind." Mitsunari tilted his pointy chin up, defiant. "And Hideyoshi-sama. They... You'll see. You'll understand."

"Maybe," Ieyasu said dubiously but despite how strong Mitsunari's bonds were with his funny surrogate family, Ieyasu wasn't sure he'd ever understand. Let alone even think about forging bonds with them himself, though perhaps... "Want to train with me?"

"No." Mitsunari didn't miss a beat, turning on his heel and marching towards Yoshitsugu's rooms. "Maybe if you grow stronger."

This bond, too, still had a long way to go.


End file.
